By Linda Scott
Watertown Resident
It’s been a while since I’ve written a letter to Watertown News. I’ve been busy working on a long-term project, which, as it turns out, I wouldn’t be sharing today if I didn’t feel that government information on this matter is falling short of the mark.
In October, after the City held a FlashVote to have those members in the City who were signed up for FlashVotes (and no others) to vote on one of four (very similar) logo options, I set to work writing an article about this proposed new City logo.
This letter was my usual tome, but despite the length, something was missing. The origins of this project still eluded me. Where had this idea come from, and how did it get so far without, as Devan Scott responded in Watertown News, “There is a FlashVote asking for input on which of 4 versions of this logo people prefer. Not sure why this project has continued without community input until – ‘which version of this logo do you prefer?’ The comments in this thread were clear, sensible and seemingly went completely unheard…”
Yes, the letter that I had intended to submit to Watertown News was almost finished, but somehow it was incomplete. Then I had an idea. Why not dig a little deeper to see if I could find the origins of the Watertown logo project in City records? So I started by making a Public Records request of the City to see what I could find out. In doing so, I had no idea the rabbit hole that I would be falling into!
The hundred plus pages of records that I received from the City dated back to February 2023 and showed that more than two years before the City logo idea was even presented as an option by City Manager Proakis to the City Council and the Watertown community for a fulsome discussion, the action plan was already in place. And a year before involving the City Council and Watertown residents, there was a logo prototype and there was a job, an unadvertised City job, which seemed to pop up out of nowhere.
There was no official City hiring process that I could find, and it seemed to be connected to a transfer of funds in our City government that was requested by Mr. Proakis. Through City staff e-mail exchanges, it became evident that this job was dedicated to the City logo project and to assisting Mr. Proakis with some of his own projects. To clarify this information (I had questions!), I made a second Public Records request. I was waiting for the second piece of this puzzle when the Personnel and City Organization Committee, the City Council committee recently assigned to handle the City logo topic, was scheduled to meet for the second time (February 12, 2025).
It was there that I submitted my findings. When pressed about this job by Councilors at the February 12 meeting, Mr. Proakis estimated that no more than $20,000 had been spent on this job at this time. See the video from this meeting. It is important to note that in all of my research there is no indication that the artist who was hired was ever aware that he had been involved in any kind of a specious “process.”
At that meeting, I presented what I had unearthed thus far and let Councilors know that I would share any further information that I received from my second public information request.
At that February 12th meeting, Councilor Gardner, secretary for this committee, requested that I send her my input so that she could add it to the minutes. When I did this, I requested that she attach all of the supporting documentation in the minutes for the February 12 meeting as well. She replied that that was the plan.
By the way, as a result of information received and testimony from the public at the February 12th meeting, Councilors Bays, Gannon and Gardner agreed to restart the process of a search for a logo, this time getting more input from the community and especially local Watertown artists.
The day after the February 12th meeting, I received the second packet of City public records and decided that while I was sending this information to the councilors on the Personnel and City Organization Committee, that what I found was such a non-transparent mess, it deserved to be shared with the entire City Council as well. That was sent on February 17, 2025.
Fast forward to this weekend…
I noticed that in the City Council Update submitted to Watertown News on March 3rd by the City Council Municipal Policy Analyst, Doug Newton, there contained information on wayfinding signs going forward, but no mention of the current disposition of the Watertown logo project that Mr. Proakis spoke about at that same February 25th City Council meeting.
I also looked at the minutes for the February 12th Personnel and City Organization meeting, which will be presented to the City Council at their March 11th meeting. They are incomplete. The only thing that is included is the cover letter that I sent … no documentation or testimony is attached. I have reached out to Councilor Gardner to remind her to make those corrections.
So, in an effort for all to have access to this information in time for this Tuesday’s City Council meeting and the reading of the minutes of the February 12th Personnel and City Organization meeting as they stand now, I’m submitting my research to Watertown News after all.
So…Whatever Happened to the City Logo Project?
A History With Documentation
Below is what I sent to the City Councilors on February 17, 2025:
Hello Nicole, Caroline and John,
Nicole asked me to send my remarks at the Personnel and City Organization meeting of February 12, 2025 to her for inclusion in the minutes, so I thought that I’d send it to the entire City Council, since they are all our elected representatives.
Before I get to the document that I read on the 12th, I’d like to reference a few documents obtained through my Public Records Request related to the Watertown Logo. I’ll just give you the date, people involved and gist of the City communication that caught my eye when thinking about this issue. Perhaps you can ask staff to get the originals to you.
Part 1 (Documents from Public Records Request 1)
One of the earliest e-mails that I found in this records request on the topic of developing a City logo was dated about two years ago:
February 28, 2023 An e-mail sent from Jeanne Ostroff to Sebastian Ebarb Subject: Watertown logos and design guidelines questions
“Hello Sebastian,
Thank you for the info you sent about designing a new seal for Watertown. (My underlining). The City and Deputy Managers think a seal should be a longtime process if the City decides to go in that direction.
Instead we are now considering a city logo, a 311 logo and a City Style Guide, that can coordinate in some way with the already approved Wayfinding signs (see the attached document). Note, the wayfinding was designed and approved before our Public Arts & Culture Planner, Liz Helfer (copied in this email) and I started working in Watertown.”
It goes on to ask if he does logos, what he would charge and how long it would take.
Please see the e-mail for the complete list of questions, etc.
After the February 28, 2023 email, there is an on-going exchange of messages between Mr. Ebarb and Watertown employees.
Questions: How did Mr. Ebarb become involved in this Watertown project? How was Mr. Ebarb’s work being paid for in 2023? Did the City Council approve this? Was there an effort to involve Watertown residents? If yes, what was that effort?
We’re jumping a year ahead now.
February 15, 2024. An e-mail sent from Emily Monea to Sebastian Ebarb:
Subject: RE: New Item
This e-mail discusses the job title for Sebastian. Emily suggested a slight change from what Sebastian comes up with so that Sebastian doesn’t look like the designer and the city manager.
February 15, 2024. An e-mail sent from Sebastian Ebarb to Emily Monea
Subject: RE: New Item
This e-mail thanks Emily for forwarding the budget. He’s also designing a “Job Document Template.”
February 19, 2024 E-mail from Sebastian Ebarb to Emily Monea
Subject: Watertown Logo!
Last SEED invoice (What does SEED stand for? Perhaps Sebastian Ellington Ebarb Design?). Will be recording his hours for submittal after this. No CORI check yet February 20, 2024. From William Robbins (Watertown HR) To Sebastian Barb
Subject: New Hire Paperwork and Offer Letter
February 21, 2024 From: Sebastian Ebarb To: Tyler Cote
Subject: Connecting with the Commander’s Mansion Team
Note: Since Mr. Ebarb’s involvement in designing a Watertown logo in February 2023, he has had discussions with a variety of city departments under his own e-mail address. Sebastian now has a Watertown e-mail address.
February 21 and 22, 2024. E-mails between William Robbins (City of Watertown HR) and Sebastian Ebarb
March 7, 2024. From Sebastian Ebarb to a number of Watertown employees
Sebastian has questions for them to answer so that he can implement information into the Logo format. (Note: all of this is occurring before the Council actually sees and approves of this logo and the public weighs-in).
March 13, 2024 from Emily Monea to Sebastian Ebarb
Subject Watertown Brand Updates
“Hi Sebastian
Hope you’re doing well. A few updates for you:
- George liked the suggestion of using the City logo for the City Manager’s Office.
- He also liked the budget template but…we need it to be landscape. Our budget development process is still pretty old school (it will be better next year!), and the formatting is based on PDFing excel charts that need to be landscape. Attaching the email I sent with links to the budget books and docs for your reference.
- George spoke with the City Council President, and he suggested we submit a memo to the Council in advance of the budget to get their support on the logo and branding effort, so we’re aiming to do that at the 3/26 Council meeting. George will also give a brief presentation. We don’t anticipate any work tasks for you on that-just an FYI.
- The City Council President also encouraged us to wrap our new electric van in the new logo (we were happily surprised about that!), but we’d like to add something to the design to highlight the fact that it’s an electric vehicle. Can you please add this to your list? It is not time sensitive.
Thanks,
Emily”
Note Again: All of the above occurred BEFORE the public got to participate in the Logo’s creation in any meaningful way. In fact, in a letter that George Proakis wrote to the City Council, our City Manager states that Mr. Ebarb and his company, Nahi, started working with the City on this project in 2023.
By February 20, 2024, Mr. Ebarb (whose city logo design this is) is already hired and working with different departments around this logo. He’s also working on layouts and formatting of documents for the City Manager.
The first involvement of the City Council appears to be at their March 26, 2024 City Council meeting (over a year into the process).
The first opportunity for the public to give feedback on the already designed logo is a few days in October 2024, by taking an on-line FlashVote survey. As Watertown resident, Devan Scott, responded in Watertown News on October 18, 2024:
“There is a FlashVote asking for input on which of 4 versions of this logo people prefer. Not sure why this project has continued without community input until – ‘which version of this logo do you prefer?’ The comments in this thread were clear, sensible and seemingly went completely unheard. I love Watertown & many of the things happening here. I do not support a logo that can induce migraines – especially when it says nothing about Watertown.”
After reading these e-mails and more, I had questions.
Part 2 What I read at the February 12, 2025 Personnel and City Organization meeting.
“Good Evening Councilors,
I started assembling and writing an article about the prospective new Watertown Logo in October 2024.
When reviewing resident results on the City Logo Survey, there was this response: One Watertown artist asked “This is the first I’ve heard of designing a new logo. I’m a working artist in Watertown and know many other artists in the town. Was there a call for art?”
There were many other responses to the survey that left me asking more and more questions:
They ranged from expressing a lack of opportunity for public input; a lack of sense of government teamwork; a distrust of government intentions; squandering of public resources; questioning why a City logo was needed.
My Public Records Request on the new logo process itself was submitted to the clerk’s office in December 2024. I received the documents (about 100 pages) on December 19, 2024.
That data returned some interesting and surprising results. It seems that this logo process has been on-going for years, with what looks like a City job, in which the employee got to make up his own job title.
Obviously, I had a significant number of questions to be answered given this data. I made a second Public Records Request on January 21, 2025:
“Dear Ms. Gilligan,
I am making a request for records under the Public Records Law. After reviewing a previous set of records, I would like to have information on a possibly new City position.
The title of that position is probably “Designer/Watertown City Managers Office.”
If this is hard to find, you can look under an employee’s name, Sebastian Ebarb. He should have been appointed around February of 2024 to this position. Perhaps that’s the quickest way to find the information. Here are some of the questions that I’d like to be able to answer:
The official title for that position (if not the above).
The job description for this position.
Is this a municipal position or some job funded through some other source?
If funded in another way, what is that source?
Who is this position assigned to for supervision?
When this position was created and by whom?
What’s its classification and salary range?
Any benefits, etc. assigned to this position?
Anything “special” about this job … is it a “remote” position, for instance.
I’d also like a record of the job search history for this position…who in Watertown handled it? Where and when was the job posted for applicants? How many applicants applied for this job?
Is there some procedure that the city must follow when establishing and hiring for a new position such as this? If yes, what is it?
I received a letter from the City Clerk on February 4, 2025, saying that this information should be ready by the end of this week. This would be just days AFTER you make your decision this evening.
There may be no “there there.” But this Logo process seems to be less than transparent and aboveboard, and before you send of your “stamp of approval,” I’m asking that you hold off on sending this matter to the City Council for a vote until there is more clarity.
I’d be glad to share any results that I receive with you. Thank you!”
End of my reading for the February 12, 2025 meeting
Part 3: Sharing The Second Set of Public Records Request Data
The information below arrived on February 13th, the day after the meeting. My request date was certified on January 21, 2025. I received a letter from the City Clerk on February 4, 2025, saying that the response would be delayed until late this week.
The response arrived the day after the meeting on the City Logo. It consisted of 5 pages, the Clerk’s response to me, a copy of the letter that I sent to her and an offer letter from City Manager George Proakis to Sebastian Ebarb in February 2024.
At the bottom of the Clerk’s letter it states:
“Please be aware that a record holder’s duty to respond to requests for information extends only to records that are in existence and in his custody. See G.L. c.4, §7(26); see also 950 CMR 32.03 (defining “custodian” as the public official who has routine access to or control of public records). Moreover, there is no obligation to create a record in response to a public records request. G.L. c.66, §10(a); 32 Op. Att’y Gen. 157, 165 (May 18, 1977).
Attached you will find the offer letter that was signed by Sebastian Ebarb. There are no further documents that relate to your request. The City has no further documents responsive to your request.”
The following two pages are a copy of City Manager Proakis’ offer letter to Sebastian Ebarb and an analysis of the information that can be gleaned from that letter.
Comparing the Mr. Proakis’ offer letter to my public information request questions, here’s what I’ve found:
Question / Answer
Job Title / Graphic Designer with the City of Watertown
Job Description / None
Municipal Job? / Letter mentions municipal services
Funded by / None
Job hours & pay / No more than 20 hours per week @ $80 per hour
Benefits? / None listed*
Start Date / February 20, 2024
Supervisor / None listed
When and by whom job created? / None listed
Job Classification & salary range / None listed
Special parts of job? / Can hours be outside of City Hall? None mentioned. Where’s his office and what are his hours?
Job Search History / Letter mentions he was “carefully selected,” but no job listing for this can be found.
City hiring procedures? / None
When, how and by whom was hiring process conducted? / None
*Sebastian got open enrollment forms for dental and vision on April 3, 2024. Is this proof of insurance eligibility?
In short, the information in the offer letter seems to provide the nuts and bolts of hiring an employee … hours, pay, etc.). And judging from the City Clerk’s letter, there is nothing else to be found… no announcement for soliciting applications for this position, no posting on the City website or elsewhere, no evidence of interviews with those who applied, because this job search (and likewise the city logo creation) was not part of a public, transparent process.
Question: In City Manager Proakis’ 10/22/2024 presentation to the City Council, he answers the oft asked question, how many staff did we bring on-board in 2024?
See http://vodwcatv.org/CablecastPublicSite/show/3449?site=3 minute 52:05
Where is Mr. Ebarb’s part-time job accounted for on that screen? Are there any other jobs like Mr. Ebarb’s that have gone uncounted?
My Opinion:
Personally, I don’t buy our City Manager’s explanation made at the February 12th meeting, that we in Watertown don’t have a lot of personnel policies. It sounds more like an excuse. We didn’t hire a municipal neophyte for City Manager. He knows better than to hire folks without a legitimate process.
Sure, the Manager has stated that the number of hours has been low thus far, but let’s not downplay the potential full cost of this “part-time job”: 20 hrs/wk X $80/hr X 52/ wks/yr = $83,200/year, (plus benefits?).
I’m wondering if this number aligns with the intent of the fund transfer Mr. Proakis requested at the November 27, 2023 City Council meeting. https://watertownma.portal.civicclerk.com/event/5322/files/report/374.
I discovered the existence of a curious e-mail sent by Emily Monea to Sebastian Ebarb on February 15, 2024 (Mr. Ebarb’s official start date as a Watertown employee was February 20, 2024). The subject line of this e-mail: FW: City Council Request -November 27, 2023. The attachments included something called “City Council request_HR budget transfer_Nov 2023. It would be good to get clarification on this.
Finally, I want to make crystal clear that this has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of work or the professionalism of Mr. Ebarb and his ability to have won this position, if in fact it had been advertised appropriately by the City. This has everything to do with a City government that’s cutting corners in very important and critical ways that can, in the future, lead to community distrust, ethics problems and lawsuits.
Isn’t it time to rein in these types of hiring abuses? How many other examples are there of this form of hiring during Mr. Proakis’ tenure, and how can we assure through policies, ordinances and oversight that this does not happen again?
Thank you.
Linda Scott
So, this ends the discovery into the Watertown logo process (or lack thereof) so far. Those interested should keep an eye out for further discussions that will be happening at the Personnel and City Organization meetings.
An update: I was just reached by Brendan McCarthy, City Council Clerk, about the Personnel and City Organization meeting minutes issue. I’ll be sending him the documents to be included. Thank you, Brendan.